What Is Disability Studies to Make of Fetal Amputee and Cosplayer Laura Vaughn and Her Emulation of Female Warrior, Imperator Furiosa of Mad Max: Fury Road?

Abstract

Non-disabled actors playing disabled characters in popular mainstream film is a contentious issue in critical disability scholarship. So what is disability studies to make of fetal amputee and cosplayer,1 Laura Vaughn, and her identification with and emulation of disabled warrior woman, Imperator Furiosa—a fictional female character from the near future dystopian action film, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), who is played by non-disabled actor, Charlize Theron? Mad Max: Fury Road follows the plight of a lone ex-cop called “Mad” Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), who becomes entangled with formidable amputee and female warrior, Imperator Furiosa, as she flees the warlord Immorten Joe and his tribe of “War Boys,” taking with her his harem of women called the “Five Wives.” In an exhilarating finale Furiosa, with the help of Max and the Five Wives, is forced to face down Immorten Joe and his men, finally emerging triumphant as the peoples’ hero. The tough and uncompromising figure of Imperator Furiosa has attracted positive critical attention from both feminists and disabled women, transforming Fury Road from a conventional macho action movie to a feminist narrative of women’s liberation from an oppressive and exploitative patriarchy. The most pressing and intriguing discussion about Furiosa is that made by fetal amputee and cosplayer Laura Vaughn—a dedicated cosplayer and blogger, who has wholeheartedly identified with Theron’s Furiosa. Cosplay involves fans dressing up in costume in order to emulate their favorite characters from popular cultural texts in film, TV, and literature. Its origins lie in American science fiction and fantasy, and it has produced its own celebrities in fandom culture. Cosplayers connect through social media and fanzines and regularly attend conventions in order to publicly